Guest: Susan Aloi, PhD, FACMPE
Faculty Program Director, Thomas Jefferson University School of Population Health

Joining us today is healthcare leadership coach Susan Aloi, PhD, FACMPE, who shares insights from a lifetime around the healthcare industry and her current work developing strong leaders. According to Dr. Aloi, being intentional about your own development — and the development of others — is essential to success in healthcare leadership.

Dr. Aloi is the faculty program director at Thomas Jefferson University’s School of Population Health in Pennsylvania and spoke with the MGMA Podcast Network ahead of her session at the 2023 MGMA Leaders Conference, held October 22–25 in Nashville.

🔗 Resources

• Apply for Fellowship (FACMPE)
  mgma.com/apply-for-fellowship
• MGMA Leaders Conference Registration
  mgma.com/conferences/leaders/register
• Conference Schedule
  mgma.com/conferences/leaders/schedule
• Conference Overview
  mgma.com/conferences/leaders/overview

Fresh from MGMA19 | The Operations Conference in Austin, Texas, host Dave Gans sits down with healthcare consultant Nate Moore — known as "the Pivot Table Guy" — to break down the journey from accessing raw data in your practice management system to selecting the right tools to put that data to work.

📍 Explore more MGMA podcasts and resources:
https://www.mgma.com/podcasts

🎧 Audio Credit:
"Data Center" by Shoeg — Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. CJ Wolf to this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast. Dr. Wolf is a physician, educator, and Certified Professional Coder (CPC). He currently serves on the Health Services faculty at BYU–Idaho.

🔗 Resources

• CJ Wolf – BYU–Idaho Faculty Profile
  byui.edu/health-services/faculty/c-j-wolf
• Compliance Reality (YouTube Channel)
  Compliance Reality on YouTube
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC®) Certification
  aapc.com/certification/cpc

Our guest today is Betsy Nicoletti — speaker, writer, consultant, and Certified Professional Coder (CPC). Betsy has worked in and around physician offices since the mid-1980s. Her mission is simple: to make coding easier for physicians and their staff.

🔗 Resources

• Betsy Nicoletti’s Website
  betsynicoletti.com
• Coding Intel
  codingintel.com/betsy-nicoletti
• Betsy on LinkedIn
  linkedin.com/in/betsy-nicoletti
• MGMA Education Opportunities
  mgma.com/events

Key Takeaways:

• Value Proposition is Paramount

Les emphasizes the importance of objectively evaluating equipment based on:

1. Clinical necessity
2. Potential revenue generation
3. Anticipated lifespan of technology
4. Alignment with current and future practice needs

• Strategic Acquisition Strategies

Recommended approach for medical practices:

1. Define capital equipment clearly
2. Consider pros and cons of purchasing vs. leasing
3. Implement 4-year replacement cycles for most technology
4. Explore lease-to-own options for capital-constrained practices

• Compliance and Risk Mitigation

Critical considerations for consumable agreements:

1. Avoid inducement-based contracts
2. Ensure fair market value
3. Vet agreements through legal counsel
4. Track historical consumption trends

• Recommended Next Steps for Practice Leaders:

1. Conduct a comprehensive audit of current medical equipment
2. Develop a strategic technology replacement timeline
3. Create a cross-functional team for equipment acquisition decisions
4. Establish clear criteria for evaluating new technology investments

Upcoming Events:

• 2025 MGMA Summit (June 3-5) - Register Here
• Visit the Prisma Health website

Our guest today is Jessica Minesinger, founder and CEO of Surgical Compensation & Consulting (SCC) and an MGMA Consultant. Jessica specializes in helping physicians navigate compensation opportunities using data analytics. Her mission is to empower physicians to negotiate confidently, ensure pay equity, and identify organizations where they’ll thrive culturally.

🔗 Resources

• MGMA Consulting
  mgma.com/consulting/overview
• Meet Jessica Minesinger
  mgma.com/consulting/meet-the-team/jessicaminesinger
• MGMA DataDive
  mgma.com/data/landing-pages/mgma-datadive-overview

Key Takeaways:

• Julie shares her diverse healthcare journey, including her background in speech pathology, software testing, and eventually transitioning into healthcare administration.
• Julie has been an MGMA member for 10 years, initially introduced to the organization through her work with an EMR company.
• As a practice leader, Julie emphasizes the importance of effective communication, emotional intelligence, and understanding personality differences to foster strong team dynamics.
• Managing a remote chronic care management team presents unique challenges, which Julie addresses through quarterly in-person meetings and leveraging a physician-led leadership team.
• Patient financial responsibility is a significant issue, with the recent rule change prohibiting the reporting of patient collections to credit bureaus. Julie outlines the impact on financial stability, administrative burden, and patient relationships.
• Julie discusses strategies for educating patients on financial policies, including utilizing various communication channels and providing easy-to-understand resources.

Resources:

• MGMA Operations Conference: was held March 2-4, Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
• Julie Mobley spoke twice at the show:
  • Bridging Gaps: Chronic Care Management and Value-Based Care (Monday, March 3, 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM PDT)
  • Navigating Patient Financial Responsibility (Monday, March 3, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM PDT)

AI is changing how patients find healthcare.

• AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT and Gemini are replacing traditional Google searches.
• Optimize website content with FAQs, structured question-answer formats, and voice search compatibility.

AI and automation reduce staff burnout.

• Online scheduling lowers administrative workload.
• AI-driven appointment reminders decrease no-shows.
• Chatbots handle patient inquiries and referrals.

AI improves practice operations and billing.

• AI receptionists manage scheduling, intake, and follow-ups.
• Automated billing and coding tools increase accuracy and reduce claim denials.
• AI tools help update and maintain online practice listings.

Steps to get started with AI today.

• Implement appointment reminders and online scheduling.
• Add a chatbot to your website.
• Optimize website content for AI-driven search engines.
• Explore AI-driven intake and billing solutions.

Resources & Links:

• Insight Marketing Group – Learn More
• MGMA Podcast Network – More Episodes

As a special bonus, we also feature an episode of Kem and Taya's podcast, RevDive, where they interview Rae Jimenez, chief product officer at AAPC.

Resources:
RevDive: https://sliceofhealthcare.com/revdive/

Kem Tolliver: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kem-tolliver/

Taya Gordon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayagordon/ Taya and Kem's book: https://www.mgma.com/practice-resources/products/revenue-cycle-management-dont-get-lost-in-the-fi

Rae Jimenez: https://www.aapc.com/blog/author/rjimenez/

Sponsors:

MGMA Events:
https://www.mgma.com/conferences

Humana:
The latest Value-Based Care Report from Humana outlines many interesting findings and highlights how some physician practices found creative paths to success. Check it out now at Humana.com/VBC. Humana is working closely with physician practices on their value-based journeys. If you would like additional tools and resources related to medical practice leadership email us at podcasts@mgma.com. 

Thank you again for taking the time to listen to MGMA’s podcast network. If you have opportunities you'd like to share with the MGMA audience, go to www.mgma.com/marketing-with-mgma/advertise to find out how you can connect with the MGMA audience.

Key Takeaways:

• Tracy Schwartz's career progression from medical assistant to VP of Operations at Ascension Medical Group
• The importance of work-life balance, flexibility, and understanding employee needs in the healthcare industry
• Reasons for employee turnover, including people leaving for non-healthcare jobs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Ascension Medical Group's approach to improving the onboarding process and supporting new hires
• The focus on leadership development as a critical factor in retaining associates

Ascension Medial Group

We Want to Hear From You:

Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover, an expert you would like us to interview, or if you'd like to appear on an MGMA podcast. Email us at:

• Daniel Williams: dwilliams@mgma.com
• Ryan Reaves: rreaves@mgma.com
• Colleen Luckett: cluckett@mgma.com

Thank you for tuning in to the MGMA Podcast Network. Please subscribe and leave us a review. See you next time!

Our guest today on the MGMA Member Spotlight podcast is David Comiskey. David is a 2022 recipient of the MGMA Future Five Award, which annually recognizes five professionals in healthcare who are within the first five years of their careers. Each of these recipients "has demonstrably impacted their organization or the industry."

🔗 Resources

• MGMA Future Five Award
  www.mgma.com/membership/get-involved/future-five-award
• MGMA Member Network
  www.mgma.com/membership/get-involved/member-network

📬 Connect With Us

If you would like additional tools and resources related to medical practice leadership, email us at podcasts@mgma.com.

Thank you again for taking the time to listen to MGMA’s Insights podcast.

If you have opportunities you'd like to share with the MGMA audience, visit:
 www.mgma.com/marketing-with-mgma/advertise

Resources:
Upcoming Webinar: https://medevolve.com/resources/ Medevolve
Webinar On-Demand: https://www.mgma.com/webinars/recognize-reward-and-retain-your-best-employees-on-demand
Medevolve: https://medevolve.com/

MGMA Resources:
MGMA Stat: mgma.com/stat
Ask an Advisor: www.mgma.com/ask-an-advisor
MGMA Membership: www.mgma.com/membership
MGMA Advocacy: www.mgma.com/advocacy
MGMA Consulting: www.mgma.com/consulting/overview

Sponsor:
Physician Business Training https://physicianbusinesstraining.com/ 
This course is for early-career physicians or physicians who need a comprehensive understanding of the business of medical practices. The course is 7 hours long and broken into 9 modules. It was developed by Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and leaders from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. This course awards 7 hours of CME credit. 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 
Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview. Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com. If you have a question for our Sr Advisor Cristy Good, email advisor@mgma.com. If you have opportunities and resources you'd like to share with MGMA members, go to Marketing with MGMA to find out how you can connect with the MGMA audience.

The conversation centers on the following key research findings:

• Physician Interest in Leadership Roles: The study highlights the growing desire among physicians to take on leadership positions, driven by the need for greater influence in organizational decision-making and community impact.
• Organizational Benefits of Physician Leadership: Healthcare systems are increasingly recognizing the value of having physicians in leadership roles. The discussion focuses on how organizations can align physician leadership with their strategic goals.
• Challenges in Identifying and Recruiting Physician Leaders: Recruitment challenges, particularly in smaller or rural healthcare settings, are a significant hurdle. The panel shares insights into how organizations can improve their recruitment efforts.
• Opportunities for Leadership Training: Leadership training should begin early in a physician’s career and continue throughout their professional journey. The episode highlights the need for structured leadership development programs.
• Qualifying for Leadership Roles: The panel discusses organizational standards and how healthcare systems can better qualify physicians for leadership roles through mentorship, training, and performance benchmarks.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Jackson Physician Search: Jackson Physician Search Website
• Research Paper discussed in the episode, available at the MGMA Leaders Conference and on the following link: Physician Leadership Research Study
• This episode's guests:
  • Tom Rossi – Vice President of Executive Search
  • Dirk Jansson – Director of Physician Executive Search
  • Mark Dotson – Director of Physician Executive Search

MGMA Resources:

• MGMA Stat
• Ask MGMA
• MGMA Conferences
• MGMA Consulting

We Want to Hear From You:

Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover, an expert you would like us to interview, or if you'd like to appear on an MGMA podcast. Email us at:

• Daniel Williams: dwilliams@mgma.com
• Ryan Reaves: rreaves@mgma.com
• Colleen Luckett: cluckett@mgma.com

Thank you for tuning in to the MGMA Podcast Network. Please subscribe and leave us a review. See you next time!

Main Points Covered:

1. The Road to Successful Payer Contracting:
   • Highlights from Doral's MGMA Leaders Conference presentation on payer contracting, including strategies for readiness, optimization, and effective negotiation.
   • Insights on using transparency data and leveraging psychological techniques, such as humor, to ease negotiation tension.
   • Practical advice for practices feeling overwhelmed by the contracting process.
2. Humor and Human Connection in Negotiations:
   • How small, humanizing moments—like conversations about pets—can transform tense negotiation dynamics.
   • The importance of building relationships and infusing a touch of fun into professional interactions.
3. Consulting Best Practices:
   • What to look for in a healthcare consultant, including cultural alignment, references, and transparent communication.
   • Doral’s experience in payer negotiations and her approach to helping practices succeed.
4. Disaster Relief Efforts in Asheville, NC:
   • The impact of recent flooding on local communities and practices.
   • Stories of resilience, including community-driven initiatives and recovery strategies.
   • Tips for healthcare practices to prepare for and respond to disasters, including leveraging local resources and FEMA connections.
5. Key Takeaways for Healthcare Practices:
   • Building a long-term negotiation strategy that aligns with practice values.
   • Fostering community connections and flexibility during times of crisis.
   • Encouraging practices to learn from each other and share resources.

Resources:

• Prosper Beyond Website
• Disaster Relief Resources for Asheville, NC

Closing Note:
Thank you for tuning into the MGMA Consultants Corner Podcast! Stay updated on future episodes by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. For more information and additional resources, visit MGMA.com.